Garter clasp



W. M. JONAS Sept. 4, 1962 CARTER CLASP Filed May 18, 1960 IN VEN TOR.WALTER M. JONAS ATTORNEY United States Patent" 3,052,006 GARTER CLASPWalter M. Jonas, Easton, Pa., assignor to Sobel Metal Products, Inc.,Easton, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed May 18, 1960, Ser. No.29,932 2 Claims. (Cl. 24--245) This invention relates to a garter clasp,and more particularly, to an adjustable garter clasp having a garterelastic. One end of the garter elastic cooperates with a frame tosupport hosiery while the other end of said garter elastic is adapted tobe secured to a garment.

Garter clasps used heretofore suffer from a defect, namely, they are notadjustable so that a frame may be selectively positioned along a garterelastic extending between a garment and hosiery. Garter clasps usedheretofore were made adjustable by providing a separate buckle on thegarter elastic or by making the garter frame in two or more parts. Ithas been conventional, heretofore, to provide a tab of fixed lengthextending between the garter frame and the garment supporting saidframe.

In the manufacture of garter clasps, the assembly of the components isdone by hand, is slow, and costly. If an adjustable buckle is used, anadditional assembly and a crimping operation is required.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a garter clasp whichovercomes the above and other disadvantages of the prior art.

It is another object of the present invention to provide agarter clasputilizing a minimum number of parts.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide anadjustable garter clasp which is readily and easily adjustable.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an adjustablegarter clasp which is simple and easy to manufacture.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a garterclasp which is adjustable over a wide range so as to be capable of beingused by women of all sizes.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in thedrawing a form which is presently preferred; it being understood,however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangementsand instrumentalities shown.

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view taken along the lines 22 in FIGURE1.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the garter clasp of the presentinvention in its open disposition.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein like numerals indicate likeelements, there is shown in FIGURE 1 a garter clasp 10.

The garter clasp comprises a frame .12, a garter elastic 14, said garterelastic 14 adapted to be secured to a garment 16. The garment 16 may beeither a girdle, a corset, a garter belt, etc.

The frame 12 is an integral member which is made from either plastic ormetal. The frame 12. comprises a button receiving loop 18 having legs 19extending therefrom, thereby defining an elongated slot 20. Arms 22extend upwardly and outwardly from the loop 18. A crosspiece 24 extendsbetween the arms 22 and cooperates with the loop 18 to define anaperture 26.

The arms 22 merge into upwardly directed, parallel arms 28. A crossbar30 extends between the arms 28. The crossbar 30 cooperates with the arms28 and the crosspiece 24 to define a first slot 32. The slot 32 extendsthe full distance between the arms 28 and is substantially perpendicularto the arms 28.

A crossbar 34 extends between the arms 28 at a distance spaced from thecrossbar 30. The crossbar 34 cooperates with the arms 28 and thecrossbar 30 to define a second slot 36. The second slot 36 extends thefull width between the arms 28 and is parallel to the first slot 32. Apair of inwardly directed prongs 38 are provided at the extremities ofthe arms 28. The prongs 38 extend toward each other and the ends of saidprongs 38 are spaced from each other thereby defining a gap. The prongs38 cooperate with the arms 28 and the crossbar 34 to define a third slot39. The slot 39 is contiguous with the gap between the ends of theprongs 38.

The garter elastic 14 is provided at one end with a button 42 resting ona stud 40. Preferably, the garter elastic 14 is integral with the stud40 and the button 42. The garter elastic 14, the stud 40 and the button42 can be molded in one piece from any suitable material having elasticproperties. Alternatively, the garter elastic 14 may be a separatemember on which the button 42 and the stud 40 are cemented or heatsealed thereon.

The garter clasp 10 is assembled in the following manner:

The button 42 is inserted through the button receiving loop 18 and ismoved longitudinally of the frame 12 with the stud 40 disposed withinthe slot 20. The stud 40 has a width slightly less than the width ofslot 20. The stud 40 has a height slightly greater than the thickness ofthe frame 12. It has been found that a garter elastic seven inches longenables the garter clasp 10 to be utilized by substantially all women.

The garter elastic 14 is then assembled to the frame 12. The free end ofthe garter elastic 14 is inserted through the third aperture from thebottom surface of the frame 12 and is extended over the top surface ofthe crossbar 34. Then the garter elastic 14 is inserted through thesecond slot 36 and across the bottom surface of the crossbar 30. Then,the garter elastic 14 is inserted through the second slot 32 from thebottom surface of the frame 12. That portion of the garter elastic 14extending through the first slot 32 is then extended across the topsurface of the crossbar 30 and through the third slot 39. Thus, thegarter elastic 14 has two layers extending across the top surface of thecrossbar 34 and extending through the third slot 39.

The uppermost layer of the garter elastic 14 extends from the third slot39 to a garment 16. The free end of the garter elastic 14 is thenfixedly secured to the garment 16 by a line of stitching 44.

The garter frame 12 is adjusted relative to the garment 16 as follows:

The outermost layer of the garter elastic 14 extending through the thirdslot 39 is withdrawn from the third slot 39 by deforming the garterelastic 14 so that it can be withdrawn through the gap between the endsof the prongs 38. In practice, the width of the garter elastic 14 isslightly less than the width of the slots 32, 36 and 3-9 so that thegarter elastic 14 may be easily manipulated relative thereto. Once theuppermost layer of the garter elastic 14 has been removed from the thirdslot 39, the position of the frame 12 relative to the garment 16 canthen be adjusted. If it is desired to position the frame 12 closer tothe garment 16 so as to accommodate shorter women, tension is applied tothe loop 46 thereby increasing the size of the loop 46 and decreasingthe distance between the garment 16 and the frame 12. If it is desiredto position the frame 12 at a greater distance away from the garment 16,tension is applied to the garter elastic 14 extending between the frame12 and the garment 16, thereby decreasing the size of the loop 46. Inthis position, the garter clasp 10 is adapted to be used by tallerwomen.

While the garter frame 12 is being adjusted to the garment 16, theuppermost layer of the garter elastic 14 is in the position as shown inFIGURE 3. After the garter frame 12 has been adjusted relative to thegarment 16, the uppermost layer of the garter elastic 14 is reinsertedthrough the third slot '39 as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. The gap betweenthe ends of the prongs 38 facilitate the reinsertion of the uppermostlayer of the garter elastic 14 into the third slot 39.

Since the garter frame 12 is one integral piece, and since the garterelastic 14 is integral with the button 42, the garter clasp 10 of thepresent invention comprises only two components. Thus, the assembly timefor the clasp 10 has been reduced to a minimum. One end of the garterelastic 14 is fixedly secured to the garment 16 while the other end ofthe garter elastic 14 having the button 42 selectively cooperates withthe frame 12 to support hosiery. In addition to cooperating with thebutton 42 to support hosiery, the garter frame 12 is capable of beingselectively positioned relative to the garment 16 in the manner recitedabove.

Hereinafter, the crossbar 30 may be referred to as a first crossbar andthe crossbar 34 may be referred to as a second crossbar. As shown in thedrawing, the ends of the prongs 38 are spaced from one another therebydefining a gap. While this gap performs a useful function, the gap maybe eliminated if desired.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and,accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, ratherthan to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of theinvention.

I claim:

1. An adjustable garter clasp comprising an annular button receivingloop having legs defining an elongated slot extending from said loop,arms on said loop extending in a direction away from the direction ofsaid legs,

first and second spaced crossbars extending between said arms definingfirst and second spaced elongated slots, prongs on the extremities ofsaid arms directed toward each other, said prongs and said secondcrossbar defining a third slot, a garter elastic having a width lessthan the width of said first, second and third slots, said garterelastic having a button adjacent one end for cooperation with said loopand elongated slot, a portion of said garter elastic adjacent said oneend extending through said third slot and over a top surface of saidsecond crossbar, said portion extending through said second slot, acrossa bottom surface of said first crossbar, through said first slot, acrossa top surface of said first and second crossbars and through said thirdslot and extending away from said garter frame for attachment to agarment, whereby said garment frame is adjustable relative to thegarment, and said loop, legs, arms, prongs and crossbars forming anintegral planar garter frame.

2. A clasp in accordance with claim 1 wherein the ends of said prongsare spaced from one another thereby defining a gap contiguous with saidthird slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS538,383 Phelps Apr. 30, 1895 1,570,492 Jackson Jan. 19, 1926 1,597,188Gaunt Aug. 24, 1926 2,293,562 Rosenthal Aug. 18, 1942 2,417,332 VeitchMar. 11, 1947 2,463,068 Tilly Mar. 1, 1949 2,586,159 Grishman Feb. 19,1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 237,183 Great Britain July 23, 1925 989,359 FranceMay 23, 1951 1,137,006 France Jan. 7, 1957

